A startling number of young girls between the ages of 10 and 14 gave birth in public hospitals in the Eastern Cape between April and July of 2025.
According to the health department in the province, 4 752 teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 and 117 girls between 10 and 14 years gave birth in state facilities, with the highest numbers occurring in the OR Tambo district, Buffalo City, and Nelson Mandela Bay.
This has prompted the provincial government to urge communities, guardians, and parents to report child sexual offences immediately.
Ntandokazi Capa, the MEC for health in the Eastern Cape, has voiced her concerns, stating: “These are not just figures; they represent a child whose innocence has been stolen and whose future is being forced into adulthood too soon.
“Sex with a minor is statutory rape, and we will never normalise or accept it. Every case in our facilities is reported, and we are working closely with the social development department and SAPS [SA Police Service] to protect young girls.”
Call for immediate intervention
Through youth zones manned by young nurses, the health department has increased youth-friendly services to address teen pregnancy, lower stigma, and enhance access to healthcare, according to Capa.
Furthermore, the integrated school health programme, in collaboration with the education department and social development department, delivers prevention programmes and contraceptive services to learners.
“We need families, empowered communities, and collaboration among stakeholders. The numbers are alarming, but they are also a call to action. We will not relent in safeguarding the future of our children,” said Capa.
Bukiwe Fanta, the MEC for social development in the province, called the statistics deeply concerning.
“It is unacceptable that children as young as 10 years old are giving birth. This situation calls for immediate intervention and a collaborative approach to safeguard our youth,” Fanta said.
Child rape cases withdrawn
She said that the province has spent more than R103-million on child welfare initiatives, reaching 22 000 at-risk children through RISIHA sites that provide early intervention and community-based prevention.
Additionally, 28 child and youth care centres support 1 373 children with services like temporary safety care, foster care, residential care, and adoption.
“The Sexual Offences Act of 2007 classifies sexual activity with minors as statutory rape, regardless of alleged consent, and mandates reporting such cases to the South African Police Service,” according to Fanta.
Although three rape cases involving minors have been withdrawn, provincial police have confirmed that multiple cases are still being investigated.
In a statement, the police have urged families not to drop charges because this undermines the legal system, denies survivors justice, and allows perpetrators to continue targeting vulnerable children.
